1. Field of Invention
This invention relates generally to undergarment protection devices for protection from bodily harm from underwire and non-underwire bras, specifically to a cushioned structure attached to a wire, hard plastic or metal clip that prevents exposure of underwires to the skin of the user where the encasing for an underwire is torn or continuously rubs or presses against the skin of the user causing punctures or bruises to the wearer's skin. The invention also relates to the protection of the skin from any bra in the front, sides or back where friction or movement of the bra causes bruises to the wearer from constant rubbing against the body.
2. Prior Art
The undergarment industry provides consumers with an enormous selection of bras to be worn under clothing to support the breasts. The underwire bra is one of the most popular bras on the market because of its unique designs and its ability to lift up the breast in low-cut and covered blouses and other outer wear clothing.
Originally, these underwire bras were designed to provide the user with the appearance of an uplifted set of breast. However, underwire bras can be very uncomfortable after continued use and washing because the underwires protrude out from the bras over time and bruise or puncture the wearer. Even new underwire bras that have not been worn excessively tend to do the same. In some cases where the underwire does not surface, the casing for the underwire presses against the skin and rubs and bruises the skin during normal wear and movement by the user.
To address this underwire problem and the friction caused by movement in bras, inventors have created many types of underwire protection devices that cover the tips of the underwire so that if the underwire becomes exposed, it will not puncture or cause harm to the skin of the wearer. Inventors have also created devices that help restrict the movement of the bras. Lazarian's U.S. Pat. No. 6,466,268 addressed the sliding of a bra by inventing a garment support device which has a slip-resistant material impregnated into a support material, wherein selective placement of the device onto a garment decreases the friction between garment and the wearer's skin without deforming the contact surface, thus helping to prevent the garment from sliding relative to the wearer's skin. Although this device helps to keep the bra from sliding or moving excessively, it does not address the problem of protecting the wearer from the underwire exposure caused by the tearing of fabric. Other prior art inventors of U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,780,080; 4,770,650; 3,777,763; 5,830,040 and 3,605,753, invented devices that attach to the tips of the underwires to prevent damage to the user in the event of unexpected exposure; yet, these inventors did not necessarily address the bulkiness of the casing of these underwire bras that rub against the skin and cause bruises to the wearer. Other inventors of U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,730,641 and 5,749,767 changed the shapes of the ends of the underwire tips to prevent the end of the tip from becoming exposed from tearing or damage to the casing of the underwire bra. Furthermore, inventors of U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,435,939; 6,682,395 and 6,896,580 invented underwires that completely covered and protected the underwires with silicon rubber or latex (Lin), gelatinous material (Falla et al.) and gelatinous strips (Falla et al.), respectively. These inventions by Lin and Falla et al. still provide additional layers of fabric casings to cover the underwires that are bulky and that have still resulted in bruising many users due to friction. Lastly, each of these inventors did address a specific problem for the wearer but the underwire bra continues to be uncomfortable for many users even when the underwire is not exposed. Other inventors have also patented many other solutions to underwire exposure as cited in the patent applications of the aforementioned inventors and patents.
3. Objects and Advantages
Accordingly, several objects and advantages of the invention are comfort, safety, appearance and use.
It is an object of the present invention to provide the user with added protection from exposure to the underwire. An exposed underwire can puncture or bruise the skin of the user. The present invention will allow the user to reposition the underwire and place the present invention over the exposed underwire area to prevent the underwire from harming the wearer.
It is another object of the present invention to prevent an underwire from moving and eventually becoming exposed. Because the wearers of bras usually move constantly, this causes underwires to slide and twist in their casing. Eventually, the casing to the underwire tares and wears over time. By securing the present invention over the underwire casing, the encased underwire can be stabilized and prevented from movement to prolong the life of the bra.
It is still another object of the present invention to preserve and continue to wear the underwire bra in case of the unlikely event of underwire exposure. Many users of underwire bras do not experience the opportunity of repeated use of their underwire bra purchases. Many underwire bras are decorative, come as part of a set, and are expensive. In many cases, the exposure of the underwire causes the bra to not be worn or to be discarded by the wearer. The present invention allows the user to save the bra, secure the underwire, and have a longer use of the product. Having to discard a bra that is otherwise in good condition is disappointing and wasteful for the purchasers of such bras.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide comfort to the user from the continued pressure or friction near the underwire casing where underwires are inserted and encased in a bra. The cushioning structure of the present invention for underwire bras provides the wearer with enough space between the bra and the skin of the user, which prevents direct contact of the skin with exposed underwires or irritating, underwire casing. The user will only feel cushion when wearing the present invention over the underwire casing instead of the rubbing or pressing against the skin that usually occurs during use. The present invention, when used properly, is stable until removed and can minimize the sliding and movement of the bra during use. The present invention will also provide protection from non-underwire bras that cause bruising from rubbing or friction.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide a stable clip that attaches to the underwire bra over the underwire casing or other bra structures that rub and cause friction between the bra and the wearer.
It is still a further object of the present invention to attach to a bra securely and to be easy to use.
The clip of present invention opens and closes with ease.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide an attractive device that allows wearers of underwire and non-underwire bras to protect their skin and their bras with a product that is decorative, appealing, reusable, exchangeable and even scented. The present invention will provide the user with a large selection of colors, sizes, styles, and degrees of comfort and smell. The present invention will be available in an enormous variety of colors or designs that will appeal to its users by providing the consumer with a choice of selecting an already secured clip cover or an exchangeable slip-on clip cover. The exchangeable slip-on covers that cover the visible portion of the clip of the present invention will be made to appeal to almost any consumer preference because the slip-on covers can be selected to match any color choice due to the present invention's slip-on cover materials. The consumer will be able to choose a cover from fabric, gelatinous materials, or soft plastic materials. The gelatinous material slip-on covers, which because of the unique qualities of gelatinous material, will provide consumers with design choices, scent choices, and multi-color choices that may not be available with a fabric cover choice. Further, the gelatinous material slip-on covers can be easily taken on and off the clip with ease and remain in place due to its unique qualities. The surface of gelatinous material also provides consumers or manufacturers with the ability to attach decorative decals to the covers, unlike fabric with usually require more effort to apply than an extremely small stick-on decal. An enormous, decal selection of small and decorative styles is available on the market today which will provide unlimited decorative abilities for the users or manufacturers of the present invention. Gelatinous material can be scented easily during the manufacturing process as well. Additionally, the slip-on covers of the present inventions will also be available in plastic materials. Likewise, plastic has unique qualities as well. The plastic slip-on covers will provide similar variety choices as with the gelatinous material slip-on covers, but can be made of more different degrees of feel or touch due its soft or hard qualities. Finally, fabric slip-on covers will be available with the present invention. Fabric slip-on covers will also provide consumers with many design choices in color, design, appearance and feel. Fabric has unique qualities that will provide decorative choices unavailable with gelatinous or plastic materials, such as ribbon, lace, flexibility of fabric. Likewise, embroidered or flat foam slip-on covers can be manufactured with attached pockets or pouches to allow slip on covers to be easily attached to the front portion of the clip and changed as desired. These pockets or pouches are be made of slip resistant materials such as thin plastic, rubber, fabric that will insure that these slip-on covers remain in place until removed. To conclude, the appearance and selections available to the users of the present invention will insure that it will appeal to the masses in shape, color, design, comfort and in smells. A unique advantage of the slip-on covers is the ability of the consumers to change the scents or designs of the front portion of the present invention.
It is still a further object of the present invention to be just as attractive as it is comfortable with a variety of shapes, color, and degrees of comfort or feel. The cushioning structure of the present invention provides a cushion or padded protection to the user because its components. The cushioning structure of the present invention consists of materials that provide different degrees of comfort depending on the selection. The key materials used to provide a cushioning structure for the present invention are be made of foam, gelatinous materials, fabric or a combination of these. The foam material of the cushioning structure has the effect of a pillow by providing a medium between the users skin and any area on the users bra that may be harmed due to sudden exposure of an under-wire in a underwire bra and its casing or structures as well as non-underwire bras and their structures that cause friction from movement or its casing or structures that bruise or harm the users exposed skin. Foam has unique qualities in that foam can provide for degrees of comfort or feel, shaping capabilities, and appearance choices. The foam used in the present invention that will be attached to the bottom portion of the clip and that will have contact with the user of the present invention can be shaped to appeal to consumer preference. Shapes can be formed with foam easily due to its composition. Furthermore, foam can be multicolored, made to resemble many shapes or formed to resemble many different types of items or things. The foam material of the present invention can be shaped to form geometric, animal, insect, fruit, food, novelty items or characters, letters, flowers, and other types of items such as a heart, star, moon, zodiac sign, and have the appearance of a picture of something. Foam has been used in the marketplace to resemble a plethora of things that look identical to those items due to its coloring and shaping capabilities. Additionally, foam can be enclosed in fabric and is flexible enough to be sewn through to form shapes with ease. Furthermore, foam can be coated to provide different types of feel or protective coatings and it can also be scented. To conclude, the present invention will provide consumers with all these foam choices along with a comfortable cushioning structure to protect their skin or bra from harm.
These and other objects and advantages of the present invention are achieved by the front portion of the clip which is covered with either fabric, an embroidered design, lace or ribbon and/or fabric stick-on or sew-on decals; or alternatively, the clip can be covered with gelatinous material, plastic materials or flattened foam material shapes that are soft to the skin and not irritating or scratchy on the outer surface. These fabric, lace, ribbon or decals are commonly used to make undergarments for lingerie garments. Gelatinous materials and soft plastics are widely used within the bra industry around on or attached to the underwires in underwire bras to provide protection in the event of sudden underwire exposure. The front portion of the clip of the invention looks sleek, dainty and is very small in appearance. This makes it almost unnoticeable once in place. The wire clip, once secured in place, lies in a curved position and becomes seemingly one with the bra and it does not protrude or show through clothing. The fabric, lace or ribbon with or without decal covering or the gelatinous material or plastic covering of the wire clip of the present invention also prevents the clip from damaging the outer clothing. The fabric covering of the clip of the present invention can be manufactured using numerous colors and will be widely available in the basic bra colors such as white, black or beige. The gelatinous material or plastic covering of the top, outside portion of the clip or the bottom, base portion of the clip can be manufactured to cover the entire clip or just the base of the clip. The gelatinous material or plastic covering for the top side of the clip can be manufactured in practically any color and due to the characteristics of plastic and gelatinous materials; the covers can be scented or unscented. Additionally, the covering for the top portion of the clip can be removable to allow users to change the style, smell, color or design of the cover to compliment any bra. Thus, the present invention also will provide consumers with a variety of options to utilize the present invention.
In the second embodiment of the present invention which is the back side of the present invention, there is provided up to six (6) layers of materials and the base of the attaching mechanism (clip). These layers insure that the base will not become exposed and that added cushion will be provided to the user, herein referred to as a cushioning structure. The first two layers are either gelatinous material, VELCRO® (hook and loop faster) material, fabric or a soft plastic material sandwiching the base of the clip. This gelatinous material or soft plastic will be applied to the clip during manufacture or manufactured and provided with a stick on capability for use on the present invention. This manufacturing process of securing the gelatinous material to the clip will insure that no portion of the base of the clip will become exposed, because the process will completely enclose the clip on all sides, front and back expect for the opening section of the clip. Likewise, in cases where the gelatinous material or plastic is applied using a stick on capability, the gelatinous or plastic material enclosing the bottom portion of the clip base will enclose all sides, front and back except for the opening section of the clip, as shown in FIG. 21. The third and fourth layers comprise two identically shaped pieces of foam that is applied to the gelatinous or plastic material layers sandwiching the base of the clip by adhesion or using adhesive strips. These adhesive component or layer used to attach the shaped pieces of foam to the bottom portion of the base of the clip can be applied to the base of the foam by strip, by application or applied to the foam shaped pieces during manufacture. The foam shaped pieces, wherein the adhesive is applied during manufacture, will still require the removal of paper or a similar product, commonly used with stick on products, to protect the adhesive prior to application. However, the adhesive strip or layer will provide enormous possibilities for the substitution of foam shapes for the consumer if desirable or in cases where the foam wears from repeated use. A fifth layer of the present invention provides for a protective outer layer to certain foam shapes. This fifth layer will be optional, but can provide additional comfort to the user. This fifth layer will be applied to the foam during the manufacturing process when available. This fifth layer will make the appearance of the foam feel smoother and look more polished, which is frequently used on foam in padded bras or bra inserts. The fifth layer is optional because certain foam designs will loose their appearance features with the fifth layer, which will only be available in mostly solid colors. All these layers insure that the base of the clip will not be exposed; the clip will not damage the bra; the cushioning structure will be comfortable to the user and the cushioning structure will provide padding for the front portion of the clip to protect the users bra during use and application. These layers are strong but not bulky and cannot be seen when the present invention is in place; however, their decorative appeal will help insure market acceptance, even though the foam or fabric design will only be seen by the consumer user during application or purchase. The use of the present invention and its acceptance in the marketplace will insure that fewer users of underwire and non-underwire bras and their structures will not continue to harm consumers and will prolong the life of such bras.
Furthermore, the outer layer encasing the bottom portion of the base of the clip can be manufactured to match the color of the front outer portion clip and will be available in basic and numerous colors, designs or shapes for the wearer to purchase. Various types of shapes for the front portion of the clip can also be utilized. The current invention provides for a shape that will fit perfectly over the top portion of the clip and is in the same shape as the top portion of the clip. Also, a fabric, plastic, paper, flattened foam, or foam type press-on or stick-on decal, that does not protrude and that will move with the clip, such as a flower, leaf, animal or fruit or any other thin foam shape or embroidered design will also be available to consumers of the present invention and these covers can match the shaped foamed pieces that attach to the bottom portion of the clip. This capability has been provided for and is illustrated in FIGS. 38, 40, and 41. Additionally, the alternative gelatinous or plastic covering of the front portion of the clip will provide an enormous selection of colors, designs, texture and appearance. Also the stick-on decals can be placed on the covers of the clip to add extra appeal for consumers when using a fabric, plastic, flattened foam or gelatinous material cover for the top-portion of the clip.
Another advantage of the present invention is that it is extremely small, easy to manufacture and lightweight. Its cost to produce will be low and the price to the consumer will be inexpensive, considering the benefits obtained from its usage.
An added advantage of the present invention is the option to purchase the present invention with the foam shapes attached, that cannot be removed, or to purchase the product with attachable and removable foam shapes and clip covers for the bottom portion of the clip as well as the top portion of the clip.
A final advantage and important aspect of the present invention is that it is disposable and its cost will be extremely low compared to an all fabric based similar product. The present invention is also washable and reusable. It will be easy to clean and maintain by the user or it can be disposed.
The present invention is novel in that no previous inventors have addressed the underwire discomfort or safety from this perspective. Other inventors have created cushioning structures to address the safety of underwire bras by covering the underwire with materials, enclosing the underwire in layers of materials or changing the shape of the underwire. Some inventors have added materials or additional cushioning materials to the tips of the underwires to protect the user. The present invention supports the fact that the use, washing, and continual movement in bras will not provide protection from underwire and other bras from sudden or unexpected harm. The present invention acknowledges that underwires will continue to become exposed or the covering or casing of underwires in bras will continue to cause friction between the bra and the wearer's skin. The present invention approaches the underwire exposure from the outside of the bra instead of from the inside by providing the user with additional protection that attaches from the outside exactly where the problem may occur in a discrete and inexpensive way.